Friend,

It gives me no pleasure in reporting this to you. In fact, it makes me sick to my stomach – but that’s all the more reason we must take action.

The Republican National Committee has declared that the individuals which carried out the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol are “ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse.”

Legitimate political discourse?

Is the vandalization and looting of the United States Capitol legitimate political discourse? Are smashed windows and excrement on the walls of Congress legitimate political discourse? Are erecting gallows, chanting “Hang Mike Pence,” and beating police officers legitimate political discourse?

I’ll never forget the scenes from that day, Friend. Mobs swarming the Capitol, violently attacking, overwhelming, and injuring Capitol Police. Desecrating and damaging the building, garbed in their red MAGA hats, Trump flags, and in some cases, anti-Semitic clothing. There was no legitimate political discourse in sight until the Capitol was cleared, Congress was called back into session, and Joe Biden was rightfully certified as the President of the United States of America.

And now they are censuring their own for speaking that truth. Both Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have been censured for what the RNC called “participating in a Democrat-led persecution.”

This is further proof that the leadership of the national Republican Party has mortgaged its soul to Donald J. Trump. They don’t care about facts. They don’t care about accountability. And this latest move from the RNC proves that they no longer even care about our democracy.

They will say and do anything when it comes to protecting and emboldening the corrupt, disgraced, and dangerous former President. This is the party that could take back control of Congress – and sabotage all Jan. 6 investigations in the process – if we don’t fight with everything we have to stop them.

So here’s what I’m asking you: Donate whatever you can – $5, $10, $20, every dollar matters – to protect Democratic Senate control. The Republican Party is frankly far too dangerous to be in control, and I need every last bit of grassroots support to protect this must-win Senate seat against a new GOP challenger. Please, donate now to keep this insurrection-supporting party far away from Senate control.

Make no mistake, Friend: Just because Donald Trump is out of the White House doesn’t mean his and his followers’ stranglehold over the GOP has ended. It’s only gotten stronger – and that means we need to be stronger. We need to fight twice as hard. Our democratic institutions are counting on us.

Thanks for doing your part.

Dick